psga 12
daily ncbrcskan
frlday, merch 2, 1979
Highly
M
praised
oliere play
r
to make debut
Scapino, a spirited adaptation of Mo
Here's Rascalities of Scapin, will be pre
sented by the UNL department of theatre
arts tonight and Saturday and March 6, 7,
8 and 9 at 8 pjn.
The play is described by playwrights
Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale, as "a long
way off from Moliere." Its hilarious mix
ture of satirical music and slapstick
comedy won critical acclaim and instant
audience popularity when it opened in
New York in 1974.
Set in present day Naples, the play tells
how Scapino, a double-dealing but lovable
rogue and con man extraordinaire, glee
fully engineers a series of farcical decep
tions devised to dupe two miserly and dull
witted fathers into all allowing their sons
to marry the girls they love.
John Thew will play the title role and
Robert Ball will play his friend and confi
dante Sylvestro, The fathers will be played
by Jim Anderson and Phil Stone, and their
sons will be portrayed by Larry Petersen
and Thomas Bothwell. Appearing as the
two girls will be Amy Mills and Caron
Buinis.
The (day's director is Hal Floyd, and the
set design is by Paul Whaley. Patricia
Dennis designed the costumes and Michael
Bautista is lighting designer.
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State Sen. Dave Lands performed ia the Nebraska Union's Crib Thursday.
Photo by Mark CiSinssisy
Author creates ingenious noi)el; warm story intfrptose
By Bill Regier
"Who is one's first love,1 asks Iris
Murdoch in The Sea, The Sea, (Viking), her
19th novel. Dim answers come through a
long series of disqualifications.
Murdoch likes the Buddhists, if her ing, and undulates and purples like good and sobs to be set free, but Charles is deter
characters are any indication. By tar the literary seas do.
tin, before letring hSsbody foLerone JSrLSPL
oKoXo
FGUl
The narrator is a typical Murdoch pro
tagonist: male introspective, pushy, artsy
good-looking and endowed with lots of
leisure time. A retired actor, he has left all
his character behind him.
His driving dream is a monomaniacal
desire to renew the pure love of his youth,
a dream made possible when Mary Hartley,
his sweet teen sweetheart, crosses his path
in his retirement. He begins to think of
himself as Orpheus.
This would make for a lively story if
Charles did not too much "digress and
philosophize " His meditations sink the
book like a paper boat freiited with
The Compkte Works of Hato and The
Dhansmapafa,
smiling to oblivion.
Begging women
Charles is another matter. He, proud
protagonist, defends his illusions against all
comers. For some inexplicable reason
(Murdoch also like the inexplicable), wo
men ot most sorts stream to his door.
Retires near Hartley
By a twist of fate Charles happens to
retire within walking distance of Hartley,
now Mrs. Fitch.
Undeterred by herd ethics, Charles
beeemc. arcuine. cooking and threatening Huddles under his lady love's window to
1 --' . " -" - o a , - - , . w
eavesurop on ner ana ner nusoana, uen.
Ben's a' decorated war veteran, a real brute,
Charles decides. Oh, what he hears horrifies .
Charles thereafter. He vows to rescue
Hartley from her marriage.
for attention.
Charles, whose nature is so well known
that his friends casually tell him to his fact,
"You deserve to be murdered. Handsome
Charles, poor Charles, is a cad from the
start.
He excuses his abuse;, of women with a
sentimental fantasy he's hung onto for
yean. His fantasy is boring, and awful as
well, since it takes up most ol Murdoch's
book. V
In the meantime the sea. churns and
cuds, characters sfgfr for "the sea. The sea,,
the sea laps and swirls and creams, fitter-
mined to make her see reason. 2
Buddhist ceassi.r .
Finally he gives in to pressure from
James, his Buddhist cousm, and tclb
Hartley she can go. "I'm beginning to feel
like a terrorist, he complains. "You've put
me in a position where I have to play the
bully,' he adds, knowing where the blame
lies.: " , v - ..: i; . f -: -. . , '"- ' . ,
The book almost ends in a miracle.
James becomes a Tathagata. Charles, how
ever, takes up with a younger woman. He
would follow Hartley to the ends of the
earth, namely Australia, but he's tired. Be
sides, "one can" be too ingenious in trying
to search out the. truth." Right, Charles.
He'd do anything, this hero. He even
abducts Hartley and locks her in his bed
room for half a week. Fortunately, a
steady series of visitors drops by to keep an
eye uu mm. - - .
Right, Murdoch, this is an ingenious
novel, managing to squeeze a 300 page
. story into 500 pages of prose. Hie excess is
; not exactly verbiage; it s wadding for the
4 s diot. Murdoch's brief nods to The Wines of
- nt - -. i,- A , . , a
: He triej for days to rekindle love in the Dove acknowledge Henry James,
Ikrtliy. Everyone eLe calls her Mary (la rnrer of the unreliable narrator and
mere, la rssri), but to Oiirler 1&& twisted tJ&a; The Sea need look
always be Hartley; darling. Hartleys eadsi bo further for precursors. - . " - '
Student musicians
win in competition
Two UNL graduate music students recently traced
ia the top three at tiie rtpccslcccspetitioa of the ls
tropclltzn Opera ".CoBpasy: takat cmtiaMsans
f IUchtrd Drews and Caxy IHrhtrh were awarded
J303 each. They also wca the district cccrpetioa fa
Lincoln earlier this year. -..
"There were 14 of bs in the competitioa and every
singer was very good, Drews said. The person who
wca was an experienced, good 32-year-old bass and he
dscrved to be able to go on to the sszni-ftuls in New
York."
' Both men were pleased with their perfonnanrrs, bet ,
thogt &ey couli have pcrfonned better.
: T would ha- lUsd to dcoe bet lkhae!ss2&
Tsl we csae away wifh some very good cccstructive
crMdsa fey thr judges '-tnd well be able to take it
hesse '.' zzi . hsjfi2y i; grow from ihs " expericnce..
: "T wss pUisl wii cy perfonrwire, Drrrs skJ.
Tut you slnjs taTe to wsDc away thir.lirig that yoa
owcases live entertainment
- Lhs entsrUfnment from local as well as recssl mu-5tfrfTnt;-wg-br
festered xrtzlly ia tbe Ihuca Coui Crib
: thsaks to Saowczag, a Uahersity Program CtxricQ's ccn
I snittee: - ;:' - - -r;-f UK' '. S
ilclbi sail they 1 occasionally' receive, letten from,
people who wsh; to perfona. .These people audition
before a connnittee todsterinme v-ither they 'will be
e want to provide a vsrirry cf crr.l fclcct, fee
different tsssa, bet net tba 1! ccatext type," ssil
IrlcHri, rharrrnsn cf Shau'cue. . -v -v-:
The schedule for, the Soeth Crib is" Lasrie tlcCfcia,.
contemporary guitar oa Padiywick, a Cve-
member Ixrh folk group onarch 15 zsd Dsrhcrcaa,'
who plays guitar and harmonica, catlarch 21. '
r Hdhi said Eddie Harris, tZL Connors, lloze Allison
-: and Jay HfShsrai are possble bookings. A3 have worked .
wih big name groups. . r,' - V. " -.-- i
-
- TCe just lock arousi for people to perfem. A lot cf
thsm ce rcccmscd to cs from sossose " who has'
rrdthrnfwllcllisiii. , -h' J- ;4.:-:: .
In the pa3,lack of actirity has been the ccin cbstsxie
he said. 1 " ' V.-,Vv"
' ...... - . v 4 ..- -
Te have trouble justifying an increase in funds from
UPC for the new programs since they weren't done in
the past," UcHusJi said. .- - T
The money allocated to Showxase is flexible accord
ing to the program they are presenting, Hclki said. A
few concerts may require a srna3 fee, but most will be
free." - " ' - ' - C1m V ,-. - -. ;:-
Mclhh is serving his first semester as the elected
chairman of tha gmwra?. cymmSttft. Thrrf sr? r,t vrl
tmteer rnernbers on ce comxnittee. ""z